red alert
Americannoun
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(in military or civilian defense) the most urgent form of alert, signaling that an enemy attack is believed to be imminent.
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the signal or alarm sounded for this alert.
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a signal or warning that a critical situation is developing or has occurred.
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the period during which a state of crisis or danger is declared to exist.
Etymology
Origin of red alert
First recorded in 1960–65
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hospitals in five Colombian cities were put on red alert Monday and a nighttime curfew was declared in Cali, according to local authorities.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
The app, having activated the red alert, suggests a healthier alternative.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
It is a red alert that needs to land on the desks of heads of state and government around the world.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
A red alert level for "extreme thermal stress" has been extended in the grand duchy until Saturday night.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
The red alert was spreading to my cheeks.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
